Archive for September, 2017

NFL Protests:  Celebrating And Revering A Grand American Tradition (September 25, 2017)

Posted in Politics, Race, Society, Sports, Trumpi on September 25, 2017 by e-commentary.org

. . .

K          “Makes you proud to be an American.”

J          “Makes me proud to be an American.”

. . .

K          “Makes me proud to be an American.”

. . .

K          “In 1967, Muhammed Ali refused to be drafted into the Army and kill folks who never threatened him or America.  In 1968, Tommie Smith and John Carlos responded to winning gold and bronze medals at the 1968 Mexico City Games with a silent and stirring protest on the victory stand with raised fists each sporting a single black glove.” 

J          “Never forget that Australian Peter Norman who won the silver medal that day joined Smith and Carlos in brandishing the Olympic Project for Human Rights (OPHR) badge and then joined them in a banishing when each returned to the country he represented with dignity and grace.  A year later in 1969, Curt Flood challenged a different type of draft in Major League Baseball by refusing to be treated and traded like chattel.  In 1970, Oscar Robertson pursued a class-action lawsuit against the N.B.A. that led to the free agency rules applied today.”

. . .

J          “Yesterday, many players and teams responded individually, creatively, uniquely and privately.  Standing and putting one’s hand on one’s heart is the custom and practice and the customary practice.  Sitting on the bench is too easy, casual and non-committal and akin to sitting on one’s hands.”

K          “And no one in sports wants to ride the bench and sit out the game.  What about the team collectively taking a knee which is often a sign of deference and respect and then during the last few stanzas of the Anthem standing in unison, locking arms and slipping hands across the hearts?”

J          “And what about also locking arms with the owners or the police or a few fans?”

. . .

K          “The sinuous route towards ‘a more perfect union’ is not straight and not clear.”

. . .

[See the e-commentary at “Ali (June 6, 2016)”, “The Ali Gedenkschrift/Festschrift (June 13, 2016)”, “Columbus And The Redskins (October 14, 2013)” and “The Confederate Flag:  What Does It Mean To You? (July 6, 2015)”.]

Bumper stickers of the week:

Stand up for those taking a knee

“Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.”  Howard Zinn

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Federal Judges: Institutionalized Bullying (September 18, 2017)

Posted in Judges, Judicial Arrogance, Judiciary, Law, Law School, On [Traits/Characteristics] on September 18, 2017 by e-commentary.org

. . .

L1        “I pursued law to protect the kids from the bullies and discovered to my horror that the bullies are on the bench.”

L2        “Me too.  The legal system is not failing, it is failed.”

. . .

L1        “The Federal Courts are the House of Lords.  The state courts are the House of Commons.  The Federal Courts serve the interests of the U.S. government and the well-to-do/the well-connected and address a few high profile and sexy cases.  The state courts offer occasional relief to the common man.  The racket is also known as ‘Federalism’ in American law.  Charming system.”

L2        “The process is aided and abetted by selecting bullies from the bar to serve as Federal Judges.  The carefully calibrated system of checks and balances rewards those least fit and places them in power.”

L1        “In one case, the lawyer who had been bullied as a little boy spent day and night building the network and contacts to get the Federal Judgeship.  I warned a few of the kids who threw snow balls at him as he stood in line waiting for the yellow Blue Bird to land muttering to himself ‘Someday I will be a Federal Judge, someday I will be a Federal Judge, someday I will be a Federal Judge’.  He did what needed to be done to get into a profitable law school and then got the Federal Judgeship.  He now peers out from his perch at all the kids who threw snow balls at someone they did regard as a peer.  He got and is getting his revenge.  Not by challenging the bullies but by becoming a bully.”

L2        “No surprise.  Bullies were bullied.  It is contagious.”

. . .

L1        “Imagine if you could look up at him – while privately looking down on him – and say ‘How about you and me step outside big boy and handle this like real men?’”

L2        “Bullies need to be confronted.  But for simply challenging a bully, the wimp could unleash his enforcers from the U.S. Marshal’s Service and after roughing you up issue you a ticket to Florence.”

L1        “Now that is not such a bad outcome, really.  Tuscany is beautiful this time of year.”

. . .

[See the e-commentary at “SCOTUS on TV:  ‘They Might Not Be Such Bastards’ (March 26, 2012)”, “The Paradox Of The Republican Federal Judge:  Republican Federal Judge Syndrome (September 23, 2013)”, “Assigning Blame:  The Lawyers:  50 Percent; The Non-Lawyer Public:  50 Percent; The Judges:  100 Percent (December 3, 2012)”, “Arctic High School Court (May 23, 2016)” and “The Ninth Circuit:  Two-Tiered ‘Just-Us’ Review (February 13, 2017)”.]

Bumper sticker of the week:

September 17 – Have a happy Constitution Day

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Americans Are Just Not That Happy (September 11, 2017)

Posted in Canada, Europe, On [Traits/Characteristics], Society on September 11, 2017 by e-commentary.org

. . .

J          “or even ducky.”

. . .

K          “Do you ask them or observe them?”

J          “Both.  Just engage in idle conversation about anything.  And listen to them reveal themselves.”

K          “Here too.  I hear you and hear them.  They are deeply and profoundly angry to the core.”

J          “The anger is undigested and simmering.  They are stewing and percolating in the toxic brew of hate and fear.”

K          “And intimating even obliquely to one’s neighbor that he or she is disquieted can incite the listener to be defensive.”

J          “And to reveal himself and herself even more.”

. . .

K          “The Constitution is silent regarding ‘happiness,’ yet when declaring independence we as a country aspired to the ‘pursuit of happiness’ as one of our core national aspirations.  ‘Happiness’ is a vexing and elusive thing.”

J          “I am reluctant to proclaim ‘happy new year’ or ‘happy birthday’ or ‘happy groundhog day’ because it is such a hollow and shallow proclamation.  How about ‘have a serene day’ and offer a smile and a nod instead?”

K          “Have a ‘peaceful day’ is a workable declaration.” 

. . .

K          “My poll of foreigners is unscientific and likely accurate.  Look at Canadians.  They are happier.  Look at Europeans.  They are happier.  America is causing much of the chaos in and exporting unhappiness to the world, yet so many fellow members of the planet are . . .  happy.”

J          “In the land of the freeway and the home of the Wave, there is not one American Dream, but rather a variety of American Dreams that are increasingly elusive and may now be unattainable.”

. . .

J          “For so many today, keeping up with the Joneses is not adequate.  Vanquishing the Joneses is the goal.  And the Jones cannot afford to keep up with let alone vanquish their neighbors.”

K          “No one is keeping up.  The populace knows that they are being exploited, but most of them do not recognize the real exploiters.  Some know that their government is a wholly owned subsidiary of the corporations.  Both lie, cheat and steal at every opportunity every day.”

J          “That makes me unhappy.” 

. . .

K          “A restive and restless people are not likely to rest.”

. . .

[See the e-commentary on the psychological consequences of unrelenting fear at “The Residue of Unrelenting Fear:  PTSD Afflicts The Populace (August 28, 2006)”, the challenges trying to create community at “On Community (June 3, 2013)”, the diminishing role and relevance of the consumer and citizen at “The ‘Superfluous Consumer’ (July 27, 2015)” and the domestic American battleground described in “Charlottesville . . . Chancellorsville? (August 14, 2017)”.]

[See the e-commentary on this Patriot Day at “World Trade Center Building 7 And The AIA (May 18, 2015)”.]

Bumper stickers of the week:

Yuck Fou

Sick Fucker on Board

Be patient  I’m reloading

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On Writin’ And Livin’ And Laborin’ (September 4, 2017)

Posted in Book Reference, Society, Work, Writing on September 4, 2017 by e-commentary.org

. . .

W2       “Seems to me that one is best advised to ‘Live life’ first and foremost.  If the writing thing does not work out, then one has lived life.  If the writing thing does work out, then one can write about the life one has lived.”

W1       “And about the things that terrify you and satisfy you and mystify you and pacify you.”

. . .

W2       “Live and write.  Write and live.  Works for me.  Plays for me.”

W1       “Is writing also living?  . . .  He not busy writing is busy dying?”

W2       “Works for me.”

W1       “Play is for me.”

. . .

[Labor Day]

[See the e-commentary on the art and craft of writing at “Writin’ (February 17, 2014)”, the longing to write at “Writing The Long Song (September 26, 2011)”, the absence of standards and quality today at “On Standards & Quality (July 20, 2015)”, the love of ideas at “A Nerd You Know You Are (June 7, 2010)” and the role of the thinker/writer at “Contrarianism, Revisionism and Iconoclasm:  On The Path To Truth Or Trailing The Truth? (September 19, 2016)” among other e-commentary.]

Bumper stickers of the week:

Live life; life lived

Live Life and Die Death;

Don’t Live Death and Die Life.

Live to learn; learn to live

“The fear of death follows from the fear of life.  A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”  Mark Twain

“Not being heard is no reason for silence.”  Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

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